Jimbo McConnell--The Wizard of OZ

**Ron Hill** · 01-12-2007

I guess I'd forgotten much of this...

**Ron Hill** · 01-12-2007

First person to average 100 miles per hour in an OUTBOARD.....WAS FREDDY HAUENSTEIN........I guess I never knew that!!! (Read next post)..

**Ron Hill** · 01-12-2007

Jimbo was close to his dad.. "Mac" loved boat racing from the first time he saw the Needles Marathon...Mac always told Jimbo the difference between junk and and antique is ten years....

**Beale Tilton** · 01-12-2007

I was referee at that Portsmouth race. We were working from a barge on the side of the course. Several times we were contacted from shore asking us to adjust schedule of the Mod U class in the program without explanation as to why, except one of the factory drivers might have to change his travel plans.
If I remember correctly we had Jimbo, Buck Thorton, Reggie Fountain and Hauenstein entered. It was without the best heat of Mod U I ever witnessed.
The guys were going after it so hard and running so light we all backed away from the side of the barge nearest the course in fear one of them would lose it.
When the heat was over Jimbo idled over and asked for the checker flag. Being an unusual request I didn't react immediately and he added "My Dad died today, I want to run a lap for him." We all stood in silence as he ran the lap. After the lap he returned the flag, thanked us and headed for the trailer.
I'll always remember that day his request and the fact he was so sincere in expressing his thanks.
That's all I remember about that day except it was the last race I referred prior to moving to Florida

**tthibodaux** · 02-06-2007

Wanted to share a couple pics I found of THE MAN himself.

**tthibodaux** · 02-06-2007

A few more.

**Ron Hill** · 02-06-2007

Jimbo has been writing down the boats he raced in Paris, Havasu and Parker, the years, the boats and motor (s), and what place....ADD here: Jimbo struggles with writing because of his injured right arm. He flies his RC planes with his left hand....

We thought he won Havasu and Parker three years in a row....

Grreat pictures of JIMBO... Keep posting ANY pictures you have....

Last Add:

Jimbo and I were talking, over a beer, last Firday....He said you know we've never been REALLY mad at each other in the 50 years we'ver known each other....I said, "Are you sure? What about the time I spent your Indian Head nickles?" He said, "Well, I didn't stay mad." I said, "Well, I'm mad at you for messing with those RC planes when you could be messing with boats..." Jimbo said, "Well, it is easier to go pick up the pieces when you fly a plane..." Then, I added, even when I painted your motorcylce white???

Jimbo DIDN'T say he wouldn't go to the DePue Boat Racer's Re-Union...Though he never raced there...And, if Jimbo doesn' MAKE UP HEIS HEAD, he maybe thinking of going.....I told him it would be MORE than WAY COOL......for him to show up....

**Ron Hill** · 02-06-2007

Jimbo said, the steering was EARLY hydralic, and to make the corners, it took 24 turns from lock to lock. He said, at about two thirds of the way down the straightaway, you'd have to start backing down and start turning the wheel. The boat would still be gaining speed but he'd have to "SET Up" for the corner...if it started to "HOOK" you'd have to spinning the wheel to the right like a WILDMAN... AS a RESULT, JIMBO had to BABY it through the corners. With today's steering, he could corner like a Formula One tunnel...

The main problem with outboards running against the inboards, as the inboard didn't want them....and they (Inboards) made the rules....

I, myself, always felt a four engine HYDROPLANE would have kicked Miss Budweiser's BUTT and still have half the throttle left...

I was running my Scotti on Modesto's (Turlock Reservoir),I could run 107 on the straights, Jim Hauenstein had a Marcel hydro, same motor AS I had...and in a three lap heat, Jimmy could make three laps, while I made two.....That's how fast a hydro is on good water compared to a tunnel...